Toronto police deny they are carrying out an enforcement blitz against cyclists in High Park and maintain their increased presence has been due to complaints.
"Overall, this is a very small part of the traffic enforcement that occurs in the city each day," police said in a statement posted to its website on Thursday.
Police said they issued 16 traffic tickets to cyclists and 1,215 traffic tickets to motorists in and around High Park between January 2021 and Aug. 10, 2022. Officers have issued tickets to cyclists for such offences as failing to stop at stop signs and red lights, unsafe movement on lanes or shoulders, and failing to wear a helmet on a motor-assisted vehicle, police said.
Alison Stewart, senior advocacy manager for Cycle Toronto, previously told CBC Toronto that police enforcement in the park is adding to the tensions.According to Dave Shellnutt, who calls himself the biking lawyer, a Toronto police SUV hit a cyclist who was riding in a bike lane in the park on Aug. 2. Shellnutt alleges the officer failed to stop at a stop sign and yield the right of way. The cyclist was unhurt but the bicycle was damaged, he said on Twitter.
"We thank the Mayor for taking swift action to meet with us, and for being receptive to our ideas that support everyone who uses High Park," Keagan Gartz, executive director of Cycle Toronto, said in the release.Reimagine the road space in the park to create designated lanes for several forms of transportation traveling at different speeds, including a fast lane for people using the roads for recreational cycling and training.
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